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(www.micheleweir.com www.michmusic.com)
1. 2 Feel: A type of swing feel where the bass player plays only on beats one and three, and each
4/4 measure is felt in a feeling of 2.
2. 4 Feel: A type of swing feel where the bass player plays a walking bass line, and each measure
is felt in a feeling of 4.
B. BOSSA NOVA. Bossa Nova is a straight eighth groove that originated in Brazil. Familiar
Bossas are the songs Girl From Ipanema and Wave, both written by the well known Brazilian
composer, Antonio Carlos Jobim. Bossa Nova is normally played at medium or slow tempos.
C. SAMBA. Another straight eighth groove from Brazil, samba is often a little faster than
Bossa Nova and has an underlying half note pulse which gives it a feeling of cut time.
D. 12/8 BALLAD. 12/8 ballad is a bluesy ballad with an underlying triplet feeling, and is
generally a little more rhythmic than a usual, jazz ballad. It gets its name from the fact that each
quarter note beat is subdivided into a feeling of triplet, adding up to a feeling of 12 beats per
measure:
III. LINGO
Changes Chord Changes
Chorus One time through the song form. (The term chorus is used differently in jazz than it is in pop music.)
Bridge The B section of an AABA song form
Trading Fours Two or more musicians trading four measures each of improvisation (Often, soloists trade fours or
eighths with the drummer)
Fake Book A book of lead sheets
Ghost Note A note that is suggested or implied, but only half-sung
Double time A tempo that is twice as fast as another given tempo. (The opposite is half time.)
Double time feel In double time feel, the music feels like its changing to a tempo that's twice as fast, but in actuality
the chord changes and melody progress at the same rate. (Again, the opposite is half time feel.)
Laying Back The placement of rhythms very slightly behind (on the back side) of each steady quarter note beat.
Lead Sheet A tune written with notes, chord changes and lyrics only
Straight Eighths Eighth notes that are performed with a normal, even subdivision, rather than the underlying triplet
feeling of swing.
Swing Eighths Eighth notes that are interpreted as a triplet with the first two notes tied, a fundamental aspect of
swing feel.
Vamp Two or three chords repeated four or more times, most often used for intros and endings.
IV. RESOURCES
A. PUBLISHERS OF VOCAL JAZZ ARRANGEMENTS AND OTHER MATERIALS
PRIMARILY A CAPELLA
www.singers.com
JAMEY AEBERSOLD CATALOG
www.jazzbooks.com
ADVANCE MUSIC
www.advance.com
HAL LEONARD
www.halleonard.com
WARNER BROTHERS
www.warnerbrospublications.com
MICHMUSIC
www.michmusic.com
MAINLEY A CAPELLA
www.a-cappella.com
ALFRED PUBLISHING
www.alfred.com
SHER MUSIC
www.shermusic.com
UNC JAZZ PRESS
http://usonia.unco.edu
SOUND MUSIC PUBLICATIONS
www.smpjazz.com
SHAWNEE PRESS
www.shawneepress.com
VI. WARM-UPS
A. Its always a good idea to warm-up and educate the ear by listening to jazz in class
regularly. Have a CD playing as the students come in to class. Also, do guided listening, pointing out
and discussing various aspects of a given CD track.
B. Generally, good singing is good singing; traditional choral warm-ups will work well for jazz
choirs. (Though vibrato is not used much in vocal jazz choir performance practice, use of a natural
vibrato is welcome when doing most vocal warm ups. We want to work for a free yet energized tone
just as in any other choral style.)
C. Jazz-specific warm-ups can be useful in the jazz choir for development of ear training, style
and theoretical knowledge.
1. Sing jazz chord types by arpeggiating them a capella.
2. Play one note at the piano and then call out numbers (to represent chord tones) for each section
of the ensemble to sing. (For example, basses sing the root, tenors sing the flat seventh, altos sing
the ninth and sopranos sing the fifth.) Have the choir sing the given chord on ah or oo, then
move it up or down by half steps or whole steps. (You can find examples of chord voicings to use
from within your jazz choir literature.)
3. Have the choir learn a transcribed improvisation solo by a jazz player or singer. Sing it regularly
over a period of rehearsals along with the recording.
4. Practice group improvisation games, either a capella or with a practice CD. (Refer to the
Fearless Vocal Improvisation outline or book/CD, Vocal Improvisation for ideas.)
5. Integrate sight-reading into warm-up time. In jazz choir music, singers must at least be able to
sing the intervals of a 1/2 step and a whole step, respectively, at will. If they cannot find these
intervals quickly and easily, its going to be a tough road to get your choir to sing this music. Much
jazz choir literature tends to conflict with what the EAR naturally perceives as a nice melodic line!
Its vital for the singers to use a cognitive approach to note learning rather than just trying to pick it
up by ear.
3. Generally, in difficult musical passages, rehearse slowly and vertically. Ultimately, singers must
sing the music horizontally, with a sense of linear forward motion. (See last page for musical
example)
D. INTERPRETATION OF SWING TUNES
1. The inner rhythm of swing feel must be strongly internalized, and felt independently of the
rhythm section. Swing feel is based on and underlying feeling of triplet eighth notes.
2. At medium and slower tempos, lay back behind the beat slightly. At fast tempos, stay more on
top of the beat.
3. Use a metronome to develop a very strong sense of steady tempo. All grooves and tempos have
a slightly different relationship to the steady beat. Nothing will groove until the steady beat is
strongly internalized.
4. Generally, breathe and release in tempo.
5. Mastering complex rhythms is a common challenge in singing rhythmic music. A good approach to
singing tricky rhythmic passages is to speak them in tempo until they are comfortable. Its important
for the singers to tap steady quarter notes as they speak the rhythms, (or step in tempo) since all
rhythm must ultimately be felt in relationship to the steady beat.
6. The tendency to rush or drag is another common challenge to overcome in rhythmic music. Its a
lifelong process for all musicians (including singers), whether they be students or pros, to work for
very solid, steady time! Most of the battle in jazz choir is simply to develop a very keen awareness of
the steady beat and be able to maintain it while singing with style and expression. (Its easy to get
distracted from the steady time awareness when singing emotionally, or grappling with complex
voicings and harmonies.) Practicing with a metronome, at least sometimes, is a must!
*Special Note: In some published piano parts, bass lines are written into the left hand. But in most
of these cases, this left hand bass line is designed only to be a substitute for situations when an
actual bass player cant be present. Therefore, when a bass player is present, the pianists left hand
should not double the bass line.
B. BASS
1. For swing tunes and ballads, its ideal to use acoustic bass, though electric can be made to
simulate the sound of an acoustic if necessary. The goal for swing tunes and ballads is to have a
natural, warm and round sound. (If using electric, bass player can play with their right hand closer
to the neck of the bass to help emulate an acoustic bass sound.) Adjustment of the tone controls on
the amp can make a tremendous difference in the overall sound of the bass. (Try turning down the
high end EQ, allowing the mids and lows to create a warmer sound.) For latin or rock tunes, electric
can work well, and the tone can be a little brighter. The bass player should of course tune up before
every rehearsal and performance.
2. The role of the bass player is to be the foundation of and the link between the rhythm and the
harmony, to play whatever is appropriate to the style of each piece, (walking bass lines when in
swing feel, etc.), and to solo.
3. Walking bass lines are a style of bass playing in swing music where quarter notes are played on
each beat of each measure. Usually the root of the chord is played on the first beat of each new
chord change. The bass player should work to smoothly connect the notes of a walking bass line, yet
also have a clear, defined sense of articulation. (2 Feel is a type of swing feel where the bass
player plays primarily on beats one and three, and each 4/4 measure is felt in a feeling of two beats
per measure. There is no walking bass line in a 2 feel.) See below for more about constructing
walking bass lines.
4. Common issues include wrong notes; tone quality too bright or too muddy; out of tune; too loud
or too soft; floating sense of time; not enough definition in the pitch or rhythm; poorly devised
walking bass lines; not enough connection between notes in walking lines.
5. If youre not able to recruit a bassist, it is workable to have a 2nd keyboardist play the bass notes
on synth. Its not workable to have piano and drums with no bass.
* Special note: Dont give the bass player or drummer music that requires page turns! Make bass
parts 2-3 three pages max if possible, and use two stands next to each other to lay out the full chart
as necessary.
C. DRUMS
1. Parts of the drum set include snare, toms, cymbals (ride, crash, sizzle), hi-hat, bass drum, sticks,
brushes, mallets. (Also, drum rug keeps drums from migrating away while playing.) Overall size of
the jazz drum set should be kept to a minimum.
2. The role of the drummer is to keep time, play patterns appropriate to the style of the piece.
(Swing, bossa, jazz waltz, ballad, etc.), to support (kick) rhythms in the vocals; setup rhythms in the
vocals; fill; to color a ballad; occasionally to solo.
3. Definitions
- Setup: In a setup, the drummer plays an improvised rhythmic fill leading into and preparing
("setting up") a certain rhythmic kick or series of kicks.
- Fill: The interjection of rhythmic ideas in places where there are open "holes" in the
music.
- Kick: A rhythmic accent played by a drummer, often on the bass drum and/or snare
drums. Kicks are played to musically support a rhythm that occurs in the vocal ensemble or the
rhythm section as a whole.
4. The drummer may use sticks, brushes or mallets, depending on the song. Sticks are commonly
used for swing, latin, shuffle, rock, and sometimes 12/8 ballad styles. Brushes are virtually always
used on ballads, often on bossas, and certainly sometimes on swing tunes. Often at the end of a
ballad, mallets are used for cymbal roles. 12/8 ballads are sometimes played with sticks.
5. Common issues include unassertive playing; floating sense of time; using sticks when brushes are
more appropriate or vice versa; lack of (or not stylistically appropriate) fills or setups for the
ensemble; playing too loud or too soft; no dynamics; playing patterns that are not stylistically
correct; too much bass drum; mushy hi-hat.
D. THE RHYTHM SECTION AS A TEAM
1. The quality of the rhythm section is vital to the success of your jazz choir! They need to spend
rehearsal time both on their own, and with the jazz choir.
2. Rhythm section players should be responsible to play every note of their part accurately and
musically, just as the singers.
3. Sectionals should be held regularly for the rhythm section.
4. Each individual member should spend much time practicing with a metronome and playing along
with good players on CDs.
5. Bass and drums in particular need to operate like a team, listening very closely to each other and
locking up their rhythmic feel.
6. The rhythm section needs to play dynamics. They should keep their ear on the choir. (If they
cant hear the choir well, theyre playing too loud.)
7. Setup: usually rhythm section is on stage right of the choir. All rhythm section players must have
visual contact with each other and the director; drums should setup furthest away from singers, and
bass should be in between piano and drums. Remember, they all need to be in visual contact.
C. THE EQUIPMENT
1. Microphones
Use one mic per singer whenever possible. Unidirectional dynamic mics are by far the most
commonly used in jazz choir; they are relatively durable, and require no batteries or phantom power
as condenser mics do. Shure SM 58 is a popular mic choice; it is affordable and does the job well.
Youll also need straight as opposed to boom) mic stands for each mic, and mic chords (also known
as cables) long enough to comfortably reach the board. (Its always a good idea to have extra mic
cables on hand. Theyve definitely been known to break!)
2. Monitor Speakers (What the singers hear on stage)
There should be one floor wedge monitor speaker for every 2-3 persons; its imperative that your
singers can hear well. Also, with an adequate number of monitors, less volume per monitor is
needed, and therefore less chance of feedback problems. (Dont forget that youll also need speaker
cables.)
3. Main Speakers (What the audience hears)
Mains are needed for performances only; they are not necessary for rehearsals. Usually two is
sufficient for small-medium venues. (Dont forget that youll also need speaker cables.)
4. Amplifiers (Amplifies the signal going to the speakers)
If you are using monitors and mains that are not self-powered, (some are, and some arent), youll
need an amplifier for each. Or, a 2-channel amplifier could be used; one channel powering the
monitors, and one channel powering the mains.
5. Mixing Board (Also called, Console, Board, Sound Board)
Generally, a mixing board combines and processes all sound sources that are plugged into it. For
example, when a vocalist sings into a mic, the mic chord is plugged into a channel of the board, and
its signal routed thru the board, processed, then sent on to the amplifier(s) and finally on to the
speakers. Mixing boards used for jazz choir often have 16 or 24 channels, and they come in a wide
variety of configurations and can have various capabilities.
6. An integrated console system is a mixing board that has not only basic controls such as EQ, but
also additional built in features such as an amplifier, reverb, and/or a graphic equalizer. (EQ is short
for equalization, and has to do with tone control.) This type of board may be convenient for use in
daily rehearsals. (Easy set up; fewer things to plug in, and so on.) A component system is one
where effects processors (reverb, etc.) and amplifiers are separate from the mixing board. (Reverb is
simply, echo.) This type of system allows for more fine tuning of the overall sound quality, and may
be appropriate for use in live performance providing you have a qualified sound technician to run it.
7. Extra Equipment (Optional)
A snake is like a big extension chord that runs all mic chords and speaker lines to where the mixing
board is located in the house. (Where the audience sits.) A separate effects processor provides a
variety of possible special effects such as reverb, digital delay, and so on. A limiter/compressor can
be used to help control sudden extreme volume peaks, helping to avoid feedback and keep the group
in balance. Graphic equalizers allow individual volume control of certain frequency ranges; very
helpful in avoiding feedback and balancing out the overall frequency response of a venue. Side fill
monitor speakers are particularly helpful with larger choirs standing in two rows. A separate mixing
board can be dedicated to the monitors, allowing the best possible control over what the singers hear
on stage. (Some of the components mentioned here are more common in professional concerts than
in educational performances.)
8. Dealing with Feedback
Feedback is that evil loud/ugly ring that happens sometimes and that we try to avoid at all costs.
Here are a few common causes of feedback that can easily be avoided:
- Pointing a microphone toward a speaker. (This is a big no-no)
- Covering the top (ball) of the microphone with the hand. (Another no-no, even though it is
often seen in rock/pop performances.)
- Sudden, very loud singing, catching your sound tech off guard. (For particularly loud or high
notes, singers should pull away from the mic a little.)
- Overall volume of monitors and/or mains being too loud. Try simply turning everything down
a little! This may require the rhythm section to play softer.
- Inadequate number of monitors. If there are for example, 10 singers but only two monitors,
then of course the monitor volumes will need to be pushed to the max, and this is risky.
- Singers holding the microphone to far from the mouth. Again, anything that requires
speaker volumes to be turned up creates more feedback risk.
- Singers standing too far from the monitors, therefore requiring more monitor volume. (In
jazz choir, singers tend to migrate further and further back away from the monitors as the
concert proceeds. Everyone once in awhile, they should all take a step back in, closer)